It was a ride that was great even when you didn't go on it.
You would walk past it a few times a day when in the MK.
And the waterfalls, music, and cool green sea monsters floating around in the lagoon....it just set a feeling that is now missing in Fantasy Land.
Snow White, Toad, Peter Pan, Small World ....as you walk down the strip now, it feels more like a State Fair (one sqaure bilding after another).
MK sucked the magic out of Fantasy Land and really changed the landscape and feel.... for many a boy, that now returns to Disney as an adult.
My best memory was just sitting in-front of the ride on the benchs and eating lunch

That was the coolest spot in the MK.
(sort of like Swiss Family Tree House set the mood for Adventure Land even if you just walk past it)
(and same with Space Mountian, you don't have to ride it to love that big white building...it makes Tomorrow Land feel right)
(and as I think about it, Tower of Terror sets such a cool backdrop for Sunset Blvd.... even if you never want to ride it again)
Its not just about the ride.... its about the magic a great ride projects into an entire part of the park.
